


Starting Fresh

by ChampionFlyer



Series: Starting Fresh [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Coran is a babysitter, F/M, Hurt Lance (Voltron), It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Keith and Lance are Best Friends, Kid Hunk, Kid Keith (Voltron), Kid Lance (Voltron), Kid Pidge, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) Has Anxiety, Lance (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Lance (Voltron)-centric, Lance gets really sick at some point, Lotor is a theripist, M/M, Sad Lance (Voltron), Sad Shiro (Voltron), Shiro is Lance's new dad, Shiro is a good dad, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, abused lance, coran is a Good Man, daycare AU, keith is allura's kid, kid AU, lances mom is dead, pidge and hunk are best friends, shiro is good with kids, sympathetic shiro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-04 23:50:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15157907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChampionFlyer/pseuds/ChampionFlyer
Summary: In one day everything can change. Lance's whole world gets flipped upside down and Shiro's maybe gets a little brighter. With his abusive father out of his life, Lance can slowly start fresh, with a new dad of course.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings are listed in the tags 
> 
> Enjoy <3

Shiro has met many kids in his days of being a daycare teacher. 

He's met good kids, bad kids, loud kids, shy kids. 

And now he's met Lance.

Lance was a shy, skinny, little guy who liked to keep his friend circle small. He liked Keith and sometimes liked to play with Hunk and Pidge, but mostly Keith. He could speak both English and Spanish, which Shiro was impressed by. 

Like seriously, how many kids do you know that can fluently speak two languages?

Lance was also very good with manners for his age. He always said his pleases and thank yous and asked permission to do things like to go to the bathroom. Keith on the other hand just ran places with out telling and was quite a handful. 

He would also apologize for simple mistakes, like the one time he had dropped his sandwich on the ground. He looked at Shiro with what Shiro saw was almost like fear. He started to apologize like crazy, and he even offered to clean it up. 

"Lance, buddy. It's okay, it was an accident. You don't need to apologize or clean it up," Shiro had said in a soft voice, almost as if he would scare the little boy. 

"Your-r your not mad-d?" Lance had asked with his hands placed over his head protectively, like he was expecting Shiro to punch him or something worse. Lance had often done that when he would mess up or accidentally dropped something. Shiro had noticed but never really thought to much of it at the time.

"No Lance, not at all. Do you wanna come with me to help me make you a new sandwich?" Shiro asked, holding out a hand for Lance to take in his own. Lance was hesitant at first, seeming to flinch, but slowly taking his hand and looked up with an unsure face. 

It deep down made Shiro feel uneasy about the way Lance looked at him sometimes. It made him feel like something was wrong. Very wrong. 

Shiro knew a little about Lance's past. His mom died in a car accident when he was 2 and his father had been charged with many drunk driving penalties. But he didn't think that anything serious was happening at the McClain house hold. 

Not until the bruises.   
(Page Break)

Every kid had bruises, right?

From missing a stair or getting into a playful fight with a friend, right?

Keith had bruises on his knees from falling off his bike.

Pidge had bruises from slipping on the wet tile of the of her grandparents kitchen. 

Hunk had bruises from hitting his arm on a TV stand. 

Lance had bruises from none of those. He said he didn't have a bike to a bike to fall off of. He didn't have grandparents to clean up his bruise if he slipped. He didn't have a TV stand to hit his arm on, heck he wasn't even allowed to be near the TV. 

So where did all his bruises come from?  
(A little while later)

Lance had been playing quietly with a teddy bear and a stuffed shark after Allura took Keith home. He always kept his head down when he was playing and his voice very low. What can he, he's shy. 

Pidge and Hunk were over at the coloring table, creating different weird machines that Pidge said would find lava and jewels hidden deep within the Earth. Pidge was very smart and had a very strong vocabulary for a 4 year old. 

Shiro just finished typing up today's report on the water pressure of the sink in the kitchen. He looked around and saw what was almost perfect. 

Lance was all alone again. No one played Teddy and Bubbles with him except Keith. 

Lance looked like he was in his own little world with his shark and bear. 

He didn't look sad, he just looked bored maybe. 

Shiro walked over and sat down next to Lance. As he sat down he could see Lance look up at him in acknowledgment. 

"Hey Lance! Wadda ya playing with?" Shiro asked in a quiet voice. Lance liked quiet and Shiro knew that from experience. 

One time Shiro had left the door open to the outside hallway when a group of college students, who came in to watch some of the babies, were walking past and being to loud. Visibly no one seemed effected accept Lance. His face was scrunched up in discomfort and his hands were now wounded tightly around his ears, trying to block out any sound. 

Shiro seemed to notice, so he quickly got up and closed the door, genitally. 

When he looked back at Lance, his hands hadn't moved off his ears and his tear glazed eyes were focused on the floor. 

Shiro had taken a few long fast strides over to where Lance was seated next to Keith, would seem worried beyond compare. He dropped his face in front of Lance's and lifted his hands to where Lance's were and started to carefully pry them off. 

Shiro remembers Lance visibly relax when he heard the change of quietness. Keith had tapped Lance's shoulder after giving him a minute to calm down. Lance looked over as Keith opened his arms with a warm smile on his face. Lance had graciously taken the hug and didn't move for a while after that. 

"Just playing with Bubble and Teddy," Lance responded in his small voice. His eyes went back to his toys, they didn't talk or fly or run or jump or play like when Keith was playing with him. They just say there with Lance staring at them with tired eyes and a forced smile. 

Shiro new that when Keith left to go home everyday, Lance would in all honestly miss him. 

They gave each other a long tight hug at the end of the day. One time Keith even gave Lance a peck on the cheek, making Lance blush a little and smile. Shiro and Allura just smiled at each other. Allura even looked ready to start crying happy tears. But before the waterworks came, her and Keith signed out and went back home. 

"Do you want me to play with you?" Shiro asked, scooting a little closer to Lance so that he could get a closer look at Lance's face. 

"Thank you Shiro, but I don't really wanna play anymore," he said rubbing his eyes a little before looking back up at Shiro.

Shiro saw how tired Lance was and eminently wanted to scoop up Lance and cradle him to sleep. But Shiro knew that being a protective dad probably wasn't a great idea. So instead he tried using a different tactic. 

"Do you wanna go over to the couch and lay down for a little?" Shiro asked opening up his arms for Lance to crawl into. Lance nodded his head and climbed into Shiro's arms, resting his head on Shiro's shoulder as he felt himself being lifted up from the cold hard ground. 

Shiro took Lance over to the worn out couch, which had some how made it 11 years of kids, vomit, and lice but worked none the less, and sat down. Lance crawled out of his lap and lied down on his side before turning uncomfortably to face the ceiling.

"You don't look too comfortable there bud," Shiro said as he started to card his figures through Lance's hair, trying to sooth what ever was making him uncomfortable. 

"My arms and side hurt when I lay down on them," Lance admitted quietly, as he avoided Shiro's worried glance. 

"Can I look at your arm, Lance?" 

"...Okay," Lance whispered out of defeat and exhaustion. Lance sat up and rolled up his sleeve to reveal a couple of large, black and blue bruises scattered across his arm and shoulder. 

Shiro was hiding his udder shock behind a worried expression. 

"Lance? How did you get these bruises?"

"M,tired," Lance said rubbing his eyes with his eyes before letting out a yawn. Shiro knew to let it go but he really wanted to know why Lance's arm looked like the MANIA album cover (fall out boy reference your welcome). 

"Okay bud, I'll let ya sleep," And like that Shiro dropped the conversation but continued to wonder. 

Wonder how he got those bruises when he had nothing to give them to him?   
(end of chapter 1)


	2. His Father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Langst, just pure Klangst. And shiro and lance bond. yeaaaa...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Mentions of Abuse

Some people think that an alarm clock blaring in your ears at 5:30 in the morning would be like a ‘hey wake up it’s time to go to work for the rest of your days’ kinda thing.

But not for Shiro.

Shiro loved his job. 

He loved to go to the daycare and saying hello to Coran and helping him make lunch for the kids. 

He loved to help Allura come up with a good lesson plan for the day.

He loved to talk to Pidge and Hunk about their dreams and discoveries.

He loved to to watch Keith and Lance interact in their own little worlds. 

He loved most of it.

Some days he would get to the daycare and Coran would be done with making lunch or Allura wouldn’t need help with the lesson plan.

Some days Pidge and Hunk would fight about who would make a better astronaut and Hunk would always cry.

Some days Keith would get mad at Lance for not wanting to play because he was tired. Keith would yell but Lance never seemed fazed by it. 

Not surprised. Not angry. Just disappointment.

Not in Keith but in himself. 

But that happened rarely. 

Today started out great. 

Shiro helped Coran make grilled cheese for the afternoon lunch. 

Then he helped Allura make the lesson plans and they decided on a free day. That way Shiro’s day couldn’t possibly get any better.

Keith and Allura always were there before Shiro. After he helped Coran make lunch, he’d go see Allura and Keith in the main playroom. 

Keith would be either sleeping on the couch, seen as they were here at 5:45 in the morning, or would be wildly running around the room because, lucky him, he got 2 extra minutes of sleep. 

Hunk was the second one to get to the daycare. His mom always gave him a big hug and sloppy kiss on his forehead, occasionally taking a second to fix his headband before she rushed out on her day at work.

Pidge arrived next with her dad always dropping her off at 6:39 (never late, never early) and leaving at 6:41 to go design rockets for NASA. He was also very nice to everyone. 

Pidge was always quick to say goodbye to her dad and he tried to give her a nice long hug. Eventually she struggled out of his grasp and over to where Hunk was playing.

And last but not least, Lance.

When Lance arrived, being dropped off at the front entrance by his father, he always preferred to walk in alone. 

He was always relieved when he could hear his father’s old beat up Saturn skeert out of the parking lot. Here at the daycare he didn’t have to worry about his father, and he never did.

Until today that is.   
(Page break :)

Lance limped all the way up to the doors of the daycare, only dreading the bone crushing hug from Keith.

Don’t get him wrong. He loved Keith. In fact, they already had their whole lives planned out. 

They’d get married and have 20 dogs with a big house by the beach and own 4 volcanos. Oh, and they would live on a private island with tons of ice cream. Yeah, that’s their life!

Yes, Lance loved Keith and his hugs. 

Just not today.

Last night was rough for Lance.

His father had “forgotten” to pick him up at daycare, so Allura gave him a ride home. 

After being dropped off it was nothing but screams of pain and hurtful words, that hurt Lance more than the kick or the punch thrown by his drunk father.   
(Flashback)

“HOW ON GOD’S GREEN EARTH DID YOU GET HERE!” Marcas McClain yelled as Lance flinched backward towards the paint peeling kitchen walls. 

“A-Allura g-gave me a ride h-home,” Lance stuttered out as he struggled to gather his strength when he would need it. Who knew what would happen next.

“DON’T SASS ME YOU UNGRATEFUL SON OF A-” Lance winced at the harsh cuss words that flowed out of his father's mouth like a river. 

And then it happened. 

What felt like hammer was actually his fathers foot, slammed into his shin, causing Lance to fall over and grab his shin like his life depended on it. 

And just like the first, another foot came flying into his stomach. He screamed out of agony and pain, tears now steadily making their way down Lance’s face. 

“Maybe next time you’ll learn your lesson-” His father stopped abruptly turning away to run towards the closest bucket, but instead tripping over his shoes and falling on the ground. The sounds of harsh gags and heaves where heard as his father emptied his dinner and drinks from who knows when. 

After he finally finished, he looked back at Lance, who was still on the floor with his arm draped over his stomach and one shakely holding him up. 

He walked over and grabbed Lance by the collar of his shirt and gave him a solid punch in the eye before shoving him back down to the ground. 

“CLEAN UP THIS MESS YOU’VE MADE AND GO TO YOUR ROOM! I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR BULL-” Lance heard him loud and clear as he stomped off towards his room, probably to drink or to plot his next way to beat him.

This hadn’t been the first time this had happened. Lance had stopped keeping count after 15 or was it 20? 

He couldn’t remember. But nonetheless he still put up with it. Still didn’t tell anyone. Still nothing changed. 

Lance limped over to cabinet where the cleaning supplies and bandages were and got to work. 

He cleaned and cleaned and then cleaned himself up so he look good as new. 

Some days he felt like Cinderella, the way he always cleaned and got pushed (punched) round by his evil father. 

Except Cinderella had a good life to begin with…  
(End Flashback)

Lance entered the daycare and was immediately greeted by Keith’s bone crushing hug. 

Lance whimpered in pain as Keith squeezed his shoulders. 

Keith looked into Lance’s eyes, quick to realize Lance was injured. 

“Lance! What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?!” Keith asked, his voice slowly getting higher in concern. 

“No Keith, I just… I’m sore from playing football with the neighbors,” Lance said quickly to cover up the truth. 

But Keith knew Lance was lying. 

When Keith and Allura had dropped him off yesterday, Keith had seen no neighbors. Keith had seen no one. 

But that’s not all he noticed. 

“Lance, you have a black eye!” Keith exclaimed, quick to draw attention. 

“Keith, I’m okay,” Lance said, giving Keith a reassuring smile. 

Keith seemed to buy it and let it go before he grabbed Lance’s hand in his own and led him over to where their toys were.

They began playing for a while before Shiro walked up and sat next to the boys. 

“Hey Lance. I didn’t see you come in this morning- DO YOU HAVE A BLACK EYE?!” Shiro almost yelled before he noticed Lance’s slightly spooked face. Then he just looked down at his toys again.

“Y-Yes?” Lance replied in a soft voice, still looking at the toy in his hand. 

Keith look confused. He wanted to help Lance in the best way he could. 

So, he scooted closer to Lance and took his hand and held it within his own. 

Lance just smiled at Keith and squeezed his hand just a little tighter. 

Shiro thought this was adorable until he noticed another large bruise on Lance’s shin and more on his upper arm.

“Okay Lance. Bud this is what we're gonna do,” Shiro spoke softly, taking back both Lance and Keith’s attention. “We’re gonna go get an ice pack for your eye and then we’re gonna talk a little, okay?” Shiro said in almost a whisper. 

He received a quite “okay” from Lance as he stood up from where he had been sitting to go with Shiro over to the nurse's office. 

Shiro got Lance a dinosaur shaped ice pack and some ointment for his other bruises. 

Then he and Lance took a little walk through the halls to where the sleeping room was and they sat on one of the beds. 

“Lance, bud. Can you please tell me where you got these bruises?” Shiro asked kindly, taking Lance’s tiny hand and rubbing small soothing circles on his palm. 

Lance only shook his head and wiped the tears from his eyes before they could fall down his face. 

He didn’t want to get hit again. He knew he would if he told Shiro.

Shiro’s eyes softened and picked Lance up and put him in his lap. He presses Lance’s face into his chest and rubbed his back.

“What’s going on bud? Please I want to only help you.”

“Nothing,” Lance replied in a watery voice, thick with emotion and embarrassment. 

“Okay. Did something happen at home?”   
“I was w-wrestling with the n-neighbors.That’s all,” Lance replied, into Shiro’s chest. 

“Okay,” Thats all Shiro could say. He knew Lance had no neighbors to wrestle with. No siblings either. Only his father. 

His father.


	3. Just Tired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hate you are very strong words coming from the ones that love you the most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings  
> -vomit  
> -bruises  
> -ANGST 
> 
> also check out my tumbler for updates  
> who-said-klance

Shiro had let Lance calm down a little after his small crying sesion. 

“He was probably just tired,” Shiro thought to himself as he carded his figures through Lance’s thin strands of hair. 

“Lance?” Shiro said softly, still trying to sooth Lance, if even possible. 

Ocean blue eyes looked up at him in acknowledgement. This time there were no tears in them. 

“Do you want to go back and play with Keith some more?” Lance only shrugged. He looked more pale now. 

Maybe he was sick. 

“Do just want to go lay on the couch?” This time Lance nodded. 

“Alright,” Shiro said giving Lance a sympathetic smile before lifting Lance off his lap and onto the time floor. 

Lance reached for Shiro’s hand and took it in his own.Then his eyes just focused on his feet as they walked back to the playroom. 

Lance rubbed his eyes as they walked into the quiet playroom.

Aside from the conversation between Hunk and Pidge, it was pretty quiet. 

Until…

“Lance! Come back and play!” Keith shouted from across the room. 

Lance looked up at Shiro with tired eyes as he pondered what to do. 

They then made their way over to Keith. 

“Keith, Lance is feeling kinda tired right now, okay. He doesn’t really want to play right now,” Shiro explained to Keith.

That set Keith off.

“HE’S ALWAYS TIRED!” Keith yelled making Lance visibly flinch. 

“HE NEVER WANTS TO PLAY ANYMORE!” Then Keith turned to Lance, who was a couple feet beside Shiro. 

Lance brought his hands up to his chest and held them against his heart. 

“WHY WON’T YOU PLAY WITH ME ANYMORE! DON’T YOU STILL WANT TO BE MY HUSBAND! I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA GET MARRIED!” Keith practically screeched, making Lance step back and Hunk and Pidge look over in confusion. 

“Keith calm down,” Shiro said putting a hand on Keith's tiny shoulder, but he quickly pushed it off. 

“NO! STOP BEING STUPID LANCE! I HATE YOU!” And those last three words felt like a knife that had been stabbed through his heart.

Lance’s eyes clouded with tears as a sob ripped through him. 

Keith’s anger quickly changed to regret and guilt. 

Shiro stood there in shock that Keith, who loved Lance more than his own mother, would even say that to him.

Tears dripped down Lance’s pale face and onto the cold floor as a feeling of nausea swept over him. 

His knees buckled and that’s when Shiro quickly moved over to him. 

Lance was on his knees and his arms were holding his stomach like someone had kicked him real hard. 

Lance felt a bile come up his throat and couldn’t force it down. 

He retched all over himself and the floor, making Shiro yelp in surprise and Keith just stand there in shock. 

Lance stopped after that and just continued to cry as Shiro picked him up, like a princess, and carry him to the nurse’s office. 

Lance couldn’t stop crying. His hands wouldn’t leave his stomach. He looked to weak at the moment. 

“Shhhhhh Lance, it’s alright. Hey it’s okay, bud. We’ll get ya cleaned up, okay?” Shiro cupped Lance’s face and wiping away his tears with his thumb. 

Lance took in a deep breath and continued to do so until he had calmed a little. He had his eyes closed tightly and his arms still around his tummy. 

He looked up at Shiro, who now was rubbing his back, with his eyes filled with tears, but not the kind that would fall yet. 

“Do you think your gonna get sick again?” Shiro asked him in a calm and quiet voice. 

The word sick was enough to make Lance feel nauseous again. 

He nodded very fast, pretty much signaling to Shiro to get the bucket in front of his face.

Lance retched into the plastic trash can for a good 5 minutes before looking back up at Shiro. 

“I’m done,” Lance whispered in a small and shaky voice as he looked back at the wall in front of him. 

“Okay bud, let’s get you cleaned up and call your dad so he can some pick you up-” Shiro didn’t even finish his sentence before Lance puked all over himself again.

It wasn’t a lot, but it was concerning. 

Lance was now so tense since Shiro had mentioned his dad. 

Lance coughed a little as the trash can was shoved under his chin again. 

“Okay, it’s okay bud. Just breath okay?” Shiro said in a calm manner as he rubbed circles on Lance’s back. 

Lance hiccuped, feeling his stomach churn some more. 

Lance spewed into the trash can a little, but was soon overtaken by exhaustion.

Lance leaned into Shiro, who had been sitting next to him for a while now, and started to drift off. 

“Hey buddy, I know you're tired right now but we still gotta change you out of those clothes,” Shiro said propping Lance back up and picking him into his arms, bridal style, and carrying him to the closet in the back of the nurses office. 

He set Lance on the counter near the closet and began to look for a new comfy pair of pants and shirt for Lance to change into. 

Once he found something for Lance to change into, he turned around and saw Lance curled up on the counter falling asleep. 

“Lance, buddy you can sleep after you change okay?” Shiro said as he propped Lance back up again. 

Lance rubbed his eyes with his fist and weakly took his shirt off and put the other one on. 

That’s when Shiro saw them. Black and blue bruises painted his skin like a canvas painted as the night sky. 

Whether it was the smell of vomit or the bruises, Shiro wanted to puke.

Who did this to Lance? Why did they do this? Why Lance?

Lance quickly put his new pair of pants on and walked over to Shiro, who snapped out of his trance. 

“Okay, buddy. You can go lay down and someone will wake you up when your dad gets here,” Shiro stated, seeing how Lance would react when he mentioned his dad.

Lance tensed up but nodded. Then he left to do lie down on one of the beds in the front of the nurses office. 

Shiro sighed. 

“Guess I should make a phone call to his dad,” Shiro said as he walked towards the phone that was on the counter. 

He decided to put Lance’s dirty clothes in a plastic bag so he could wash them later. 

Then it was time to make the dreaded phone call to Marcus McClain. 

Shiro punched in the numbers into the phone and hit the dial button. 

Shiro held the phone up to his ear as if expecting someone to pick up right away. 

Well, it took 3 tries before Shiro heard the voice of a man on the other end.

“What'cha want?” Marcas answered in his gruff, clearly hungover voice. 

“Takashi Shirogane from Altea daycare. Lance got sick a couple times, so we need you to come pick him up,” Shiro stated in his ‘mom voice’. 

“That brat,” Shiro had just caught the last sentence. “He only causes trouble for me”. 

Shiro was trying to contain his anger. How could anyone, especially this douche, call Lance a brat? 

Than Shiro heard what sounded like a pop and next thing you know, he hears…

“This is some damn good Tequila. I’ll pick him up soon,” the unpleasant man stated before hanging up. 

Shiro, on the other hand, felt that his little call went better than expected. 

He honestly didn’t know what to expect. 

He put the phone back down and went over to a sleeping Lance. Shiro put his hand his forehead and felt a small fever. 

Lance was also shaking like a leaf. 

Shiro reached down to grab a blanket from under the bed he was sleeping on. He gently placed it over Lance’s small, shaking frame and tucked him in slightly. 

Shiro, once again, sighed. 

He walked out of the nurses office to retrieve Allura and ask if she could stay with Lance when he heard crying coming from the playroom.

“What now?” Shiro wondered as he opened the door to Coran cleaning up vomit, Keith practically bawling his eyes out, Allura trying to comfort him, and two other very confused kids. 

Shiro walked over to Allura and Keith. 

“Allura? Can you watch Lance until his dad gets here?” Shiro asked in a calm voice, but letting some of his panic seep through at the end. 

“Yes, of course. But his father?” Allura seemed unsure if that was a good move to make. She knew Marcas was a bit… unpredictable. And not the good kind.

“Yeah. I know, but for now can you watch him?” Allura nodded and headed out of the room, leaving Shiro with a emotional Keith.

“Shiro?” Keith said in a watery voice, just enough to get his attention. 

“I’m so sorry I said that to Lance! I should have been a better boyfriend and stopped being angry! Does Lance hate me too?! What if he doesn’t wanna get married anymore?!” And by the of his little rant, Keith was sobbing into his hands and Shiro was rubbing his arm up and down soothingly. 

“No Keith, Lance doesn’t hate you. Okay? He’s just-,” Shiro paused to exhale a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“He just needs some love,” Shiro stated in a sad, blan voice. 

“I wanna give him a hug and some flowers,” Keith said, wiping the tears from his eyes. 

“Okay bud. Do you want to see him a little?” Shiro knew he would but he just wanted to see Keith smile a little. 

Keith walked over to the window sill and grabbed a flower from the vase. He knew Lance liked the blue ones. 

Then he made his way back over to Shiro and together they walked the nurses office. 

When they got there, Allura was taking Lance’s temperature, just for good measures. She turned and saw a red, puffy eyed Keith with a flower and a successful Shiro standing behind him. 

Lance saw Keith and they locked eyes immediately. 

Keith couldn’t contain his emotions. He ran to Lance and tackled him with a hug crying out that he was sorry and that he still wanted to get married and be boyfriends and such. 

Lance returned the hug and said “I still love you, Keefy”. 

Keith let go of Lance and pressed a kiss on his burning forehead before handing him the flower. 

Lance smiled from ear to ear and accepted his flower from his beloved. 

Smiles were worn on everyone’s face at that moment. 

Until the screeching of old tires was heard from the parking lot. 

And they all knew, the one, the only, Marcas McClain was here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOY THAT TOOK A WHILE SORRY!
> 
> Leave love in the comments! 
> 
> Shout out to the fellow who wants Lance's dad to be thrown in a cage :) <3


	4. New Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooof help my soul...
> 
> Enjoy anyhow <3

Shiro stood at the entrance of the daycare, Lance standing behind his legs. 

Shiro knew what to do. He had a plan. 

A very tan man in striped boxers and a cheap white tank top came staggering down the path with a beer bottle in his hand. 

Shiro took out the walkie talkie and said “Coran, put the daycare in lockdown”. 

Coran rushed to all the entrances and locked them up securely. No one could get in or out.

Shiro knew this maybe a bit of an exaggerated measure, but this man was unpredictable. 

As the man approached them, Shiro took a step forward. 

“Sir, I would just like to warn you that there is no alcohol permitted on the school grounds,” Shiro said as the man’s face turned to anger, not from what he heard but from what he saw. 

Lance. 

“Get. Over. Here. Now. Brat,” Marcas spat out as he glared daggers at Lance. 

Lance, who was shaking steadily, took a couple slow steps out from behind Shiro before his father lunged forward and snatched him. 

Shiro jumped back and try to say something but nothing came out. He had to stop this.

Lance let out a yelp as he was pulled back and thrown back onto the concrete, scraping his elbows. 

Shiro couldn’t hesitate any longer. 

“Mr. McClain, I have some concerns about Lance,” Shiro spoke angrily as the scruffy man looked up with a glare on his face.

“Who ask-ed you?” he slurred out, clearly drunk.

“Well he has some abnormally large bruises all over his body and I was hoping you could explain where and how he got them,” Shiro stated, his voiced laced with venom. 

Lance’s father stood there in udder shock. Then he looked back down at Lance with eyes of fiery rage. 

The man furiously picked Lance up by his hair and dragged him at a fast pace back to the car, that was poorly parked.

Lance’s face was printed in pain as his hair was nearly being ripped from his skull.  
.   
Shiro knew this could very well be the end for Lance. 

Shiro practically sprinted to get to them but it was too late.

Marcas had shoved Lance into the passengers side of the car and slammed the door and quickly moved over to the other side of the car and got in. 

Shiro watched the man drive off with Lance, but Shiro knew what he needed to know.

The brought the walkie talkie up to his mouth and said…

“Allura, call the police now”.  
(time skip)

Marcas couldn’t focus on the road. 

His head was fuzzy and eyes were blurry. 

Every red light, he would throw a couple punches at Lance, then keep driving. 

He hit Lance in the eye this time. 

Tears gathered in Lance’s eyes and had finally fell. 

He sniffled as he moved his hands off his head that were there protect himself. 

His father looked over and Lance knew he shouldn’t have sniffled. 

“SHUT THE HELL UP YOU LITTLE BRAT-,” He was cut off by the car slamming into the brick wall in front of them. 

Lance had been holding onto the seat for dear life and was flung forward a little, but stayed in the same place. 

Marcas on the other hand, had flown forward and bashed his head into the wheel. He looked up slightly disoriented but then became angry. 

He couldn’t afford another car.

What caused this to happen? 

Oh right, my little bad luck charm. 

Lance looked at the wall in front of them and then back at his father. 

When Lance saw the look in his eyes, he gasped. 

He knew that this could be it. 

Marcas could hear sirens. Not an ambulance, no, but police. 

He snarled and looked Lance dead in the eye. 

“THIS IS YOUR FAULT!” He screamed as he punched Lance in the jaw, then his stomach. 

Lance screamed in pain. ‘Make it stop’ he thought. 

But it didn’t. 

He felt his ribs break, his shoulder pop, his wrist snap, and his nose bleed. 

Suddenly, Marcas was yanked back and everything stopped. 

Lance’s eyes snapped open and he felt the door behind him open and he fell out into someone’s arms. 

Naturally he freaked out and tried to run from the scary people. He wanted his mom. 

But she wasn’t here. 

Shiro. He wanted Shiro. Not mommy. Shiro. 

“STOP STOP STOP I WANT SHIRO!” he sobbed backing away from the people and against the car again. 

“Hey, kid. We have to check you out. Your gonna ride with us to the hospital and we will call your other guardian or uh, Shiro when we get there, okay?” Lance heard a nice man say. 

Lance looked up at his, still sobbing, and nodded. 

Then he was picked up and put on a stretcher and loaded into the ambulance. 

The pain was just too much to handle. Lance soon let sleep consume him into a dark abyss of nothing.  
(time skip)

Shiro parked his car in the hospital parking lot and hurried to get inside to the front desk. 

“Please. I’m looking for a Lance McClain,” Shiro said, out of breath from running inside. 

“Uh, yes. He just came in. Room 823, 3rd floor,” The woman smiled. Shiro quickly thanked her and ran to the elevator and pressed the glowing 3 on the operating panel. 

The ride felt like forever until he finally stepped off the elevator. 

The hallway was filled with doctors and nurses and white walls and beeping and oh god. 

Shiro felt like his head was going to explode. 

He quickly got out of his thoughts and looked for room number 832.

When he found it, the door was closed and all was quiet. 

“Are you Takashi Shirogane?” Shiro spun around to see a man with long white hair and dressed in a casual shirt on and holding a clipboard. 

“Y-yes,” Shiro stuttered, his eyes looking up waiting for answers. 

“Yes, hi. I’m Lotor and I am one of our social providers here at Altea Hospital and I’m also here to discuss with you a new home for Lance,” Lotor stated with soft eyes and a half gentle smile. 

“Okay,” Shiro said, waiting for Lotor to tell him the worst. 

“He has no other family to live with. According to records, his mother was killed in a car accident and his father is now being sentenced to 20-25 years in prison,” Lotor said with a sad expression. 

Shiro inhaled before he spoke, “Are they going to take him away?”. 

Tears were gathered in Shiro’s eyes now.

Crying was acceptable right?

“Well, they could but there is one other person listed as a legal guardian,” Lotor said making Shiro look up in hope. 

“You,” Lotor spoke hopefully. 

Shiro’s eyes held many emotions. 

They held happiness and joy. Lance would finally get a good home and Shiro would get to be a dad, sorta. 

But they also held fear and sadness. Lance had been through so much and what if he sees Shiro like his father?

Shiro wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Takashi, you don’t have to take this-” 

“No, please. I will take Lance as my son,” Shiro said cutting him off. 

“He’s already been like my son,” Shiro said looking at the door that held the broken boy who he would soon call his son. 

“Okay,” Lotor said with a large smile on his face. 

“Would you like to go see him?” Shiro looked at Lotor and nodded. 

Lotor opened the door and Shiro walked in, bracing himself for the impact of emotions.

His eyes fell on the small, beaten boy in a hospital bed far to big for his size.

IVs and a breathing tube were hooked up to him and his tear stained cheeks were far to red from the fever. 

Shiro covered his mouth his hand and walked over to the chair beside Lance. 

The tears he had tried to hold back were now running down Shiro’s face as he saw the bruises and cuts on the boys face and body. 

Lance’s hand was wrapped and bandaged but his other one was free and waiting to be held. 

Shiro reached over and grabbed his little hand in his own. 

Lance stirred a little and opened his dull eyes to see Shiro.

“-iro. Sh-ro,” He tried to say Shiro’s name but failed. He could feel tears coming down his face. 

He felt so weak. 

“Shh, buddy it’s okay. I’m here, I’m right here,” Shiro said, his voice thick with emotions. He was steadily crying now too.

“I’m-m sc-scared,” Lance sobbed reaching his arms up to Shiro, signaling that he wanted to be held and not alone. 

Shiro took Lance in his embrace and held his tiny head to his chest. Using the other hand he rubbed circles on Lance’s back and he pressed his nose into Lance’s hair as they both cried.

“I know bud, I am too. But after this you can come home with me. How does that sound?” Lance nodded into Shiro’s chest. 

They stayed like that for what felt like only a moment before the nurse came in.

“Mr. Shirogane, we need to take Lance for an ultrasound of his ribs. Would you like to come with?” She asked kindly. Shiro nodded. 

“W-what’s an ultrasound?” Lance asked in a watery voice. 

“It’s a machine that takes pictures of your tummy,” Shiro said gently in the simple and least scariest way as possible. 

“Will in h-hurt?” Lance asked still with his head pressed against Shrio. 

“No. Not at all. If your scared, I’ll be right there with you okay? I’ll hold your hand the whole time,” Shiro said rubbing Lance’s back just a little more before letting him go and guiding his head back to the pillow before grabbing his hand again for comfort. 

They rolled Lance’s bed down the halls of white bland walls. Shiro walked beside the bed, holding Lance’s frail hand in his own.

By the time they had gotten to the ultrasound lab, Lance was almost already asleep.   
He was so tired and everything hurt to move. He just wanted sleep.

The nurses opened the door to the dark room and Shiro saw one turn on a projector that lit up the room with an array of blue and purple lights.

The other nurse pulled Lance’s bed beside the big computer like device transducer probe and started to type on the keyboard. 

“Shiro?” Shiro looked over to Lance and saw tears in his eyes.

“M,tired,” Lance said as a sob ripped through his body. One of the nurses looked over with sad eyes. 

“Hey bud. This won’t hurt okay? It actually tickles a little,” She said as she tickled Lance’s feet, receiving a small giggle from Lance. 

With that she took a wand looking thing and put some clear jelly on it. 

The coldness met Lance’s chest and he flinched a little but settled into the cold feeling and it kinda… tickled. 

Shiro saw Lance relax and close his eyes. 

The other nurse found a chair and brought it over to Shiro to sit in. 

Shiro scooted his chair up towards the head of the bed where Lance rested peacefully. He started to card his fingers through Lance’s messy hair. 

It comforted him and Lance.

“Mr.Shirogane? Sir, we have found at least 3 cracked ribs and 2 bruised ones. With how young Lance is, we might want to keep him here for a couple days,” the nurse spoke, staring at Shiro with sad eyes.

Shiro stared at the results. 

That man broke Lance’s ribs? 

How?

Shiro was fuming. How could he have let this man hurt Lance like this?

“Will he be in pain?” The nurse nodded. 

“We can keep him on pain medication and wrap his ribs but otherwise we can’t do much. I’m sorry,” she said but Shiro could only nod.   
(time skip)

Later that night was tough.

Lance woke up from a nightmare and was hysterical. 

Shiro couldn’t calm him down until picked him up and rocked him. 

“Sh, Lance buddy. Your okay, Shiro’s here. I’m here,” Shiro cooed as he bounced the sobbing boy in his arms.

“Am I g-gonna get b-better?” Lance asked brokenly, through his sniffles and whimpers. 

Shiro paused at those words. 

Will he ever get better?

Will his father’s words or punches ever truly be gone?

Will Shiro ever be enough?

Will Lance ever heal?

Will it ever get better?

“Yeah, bud. We’ll get better,” And with those words a little spark of hope ignited in Lance.

Something he hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is the final chapter of Part 1! Expect many more to come in the future!
> 
> Shout out to: 
> 
> The good lil reader EclipesWolf18!
> 
> And the amazing Starluv 
> 
> Love u guys and the comments!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! Chapter 2 will be out in a few days to a week and there are about 4 chapters per part, so expect a part 2 soon!


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